Readsboro boy gets 'wish' pool

JW Charlemont Excavation and Tree Service, and most especially, Jonathan Winfisky, helped construct a pond at Asa Frost's home in Readsboro. The pond was a wish granted by Make-A-Wish Vermont.

JW Charlemont Excavation and Tree Service, and most especially, Jonathan Winfisky, helped construct a pond at Asa Frost's home in Readsboro. The pond was a wish granted by Make-A-Wish Vermont.

Posted
Friday, July 22, 2016 7:04 am

Special to the Reformer

READSBORO &GT;&GT; On top of a mountain in Readsboro, lives a very special little boy and his family.

Asa Frost is a 7-year-old artist, who loves to paint, be outdoors, grow vegetables and flowers, explore nature, search for insects and frogs, and most especially anything to do in, and around, water. He has also been diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and qualified for a Wish from Make-A-Wish Vermont.

More than anything, Frost wished to have a swimming pond at home with a perfect rock for jumping off into the water. The family already had a shallow pond on the property, but it was not suitable for swimming, as the water supply wasn't enough to sustain a healthy pond.

With Asa's Wish Granters, Carole Rayl and Amy Mednick, working their magic, it still took several months to find a contractor willing to work on a pond on top of a remote mountaintop. At one point this winter, during his second round of chemotherapy, Frost mentioned to his mother, Molly, that he didn't think his wish would ever come true.

But on a blustery and cloudy day this past May, construction equipment arrived, surprising Frost one early morning, still in his pajamas, ready to begin the production of his pond. This was perfect timing, as Frost was in the middle of chemotherapy treatments, and needed an event to look forward to.

JW Charlemont Excavation and Tree Service, and most especially, Jonathan Winfisky, worked tirelessly when weather allowed, to bring Frost's vision and wish to reality.

When he got home from his appointments at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, in Lebanon, N.H., weather permitting, he would either sit up on his tree platform and supervise and help Winfisky build the pond or watch from a cozy place indoors. The entire project helped get him through this time, remaining motivated and positive.

Once construction was completed on the pond, there was still another issue that needed to be addressed before the pond could be declared official. This is where Fire Chief Adam Codogni, and the Readsboro Volunteer Fire Department stepped in, and spent Father's Day delivering water with their trucks to the new mountaintop pond.

Frost, who is just about to begin his next stage of treatment, had some glorious weeks where he could swim and paddle and dig and sit on the beach and gaze at the stars at night, and will be able to take those memories to Boston. These memories will brighten his days until he is back home again, in his magical pond on top of the mountain.

Make-A-Wish Vermont grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions. A wish is often the turning point in a child's recovery. Since 1989, Make-A-Wish Vermont has granted over 725 wishes. To learn more, or refer a child to the program, please go to vermont.wish.org and click "Refer a child" or call us at 802-864-9393

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